It looked for all money like the Black Caps would be bowled out cheaply in their second innings after the tourists lost 3 for 37 after tea.

But Taylor (42 not out) and Kane Williamson (34 not out) got their eyes in and frustrated Australia's attack late on Saturday afternoon as the ideal bowling conditions New Zealand enjoyed earlier in the morning started to fade.

They brought up their half-century partnership off 87 deliveries as the shine wore off the ball and the pitch - a very green surface on day one - settled somewhat.

Australia coach Mickey Arthur says the green-top pitch played havoc with his side's first innings but gave just as much credit to the Black Caps' bowling.

"Yes, I think so," he told Grandstand when asked whether he thought Australia got the worst of the batting conditions on Saturday morning.

"But they also had to put the ball in the right area, which they did.

"I thought they bowled really well this morning, they didn't really give us any four balls, didn't give us much to hit, and put us under pressure."

Arthur says now that the surface is out of the equation somewhat, more runs should be expected from both teams.

"The game was pretty much even-stevens after the first innings and now they've played well," he said.

"But the wicket has definitely dried out, definitely lost a bit of its venom and hopefully should develop into a fairly good batting wicket."

The 66-run union between Taylor and Williamson was not a flashy dig but it was the the partnership New Zealand needed.

The tourists lost Brendon McCullum (12) and Martin Guptill (16) in successive overs to Victorian pace terrors James Pattinson (1 for 37) and Peter Siddle (1 for 29) respectively.

Pattinson struck first for his sixth wicket of the Test, coaxing McCullum into playing at a ball moving away from off-stump to edge a catch to Phil Hughes in the slips.

In the next over Siddle dislodged the other half of the opening pair as Guptill prodded at one and nicked it straight to Brad Haddin behind the stumps.

Jesse Ryder came to the crease and was prepared to live and die by the sword with some wild swings that missed more often than they connected.

But he was brought undone by a change of pace when Michael Clarke threw part-timer Michael Hussey (1 for 15) the ball, resulting in a slick leg-side stumping of the bulky left-hander.

Top end disaster

While there were calls on Friday for Phil Hughes' axing from the line-up after his latest failure, few Australian top-order batsmen can escape scrutiny over an awful first innings.

Clarke was the lone bright spot with 22 but he too fell in disappointing fashion, shouldering arms to Bracewell and losing his off stump.

Clarke and David Warner (15) were the only two Aussie batsmen to reach double figures on a dismal day for the hosts.

"I guess I am (concerned)," Arthur said of his team's capitulation.

"We'd obviously like a lot more runs - there's no hiding from that - but it was tough and credit must go to New Zealand, I thought they bowled really well.

"I think 250 would be good to chase down. Anything over 270, 275 will be tough but it's going to make for an enthralling Test match."

Birthday boy Chris Martin, who sent Hughes packing in the usual fashion with an edge to the slips on Friday afternoon, finished with 3 for 46.

He enticed Warner into driving at a well-pitched delivery that the left-hander nicked to Ross Taylor in the cordon before finally putting Usman Khawaja (7) out of his misery.

Khawaja had not looked comfortable at the crease on Saturday morning and several of the 51 deliveries he faced beat the bat by the finest of margins before he was finally caught behind.

Former skipper Ricky Ponting came to the crease to a warm reception but the hometown hero was not there for long.

Tim Southee rapped him on the pads on 5 and it was so plumb that Ponting was three steps off the pitch before umpire Nigel Llong's finger was raised to signal the end of what could be the 37-year-old's second-last knock at Bellerive.

Similar fortunes awaited Hussey (8) and Haddin (5), the former becoming debutant paceman Boult's maiden Test wicket and the latter delivering a gimme catch to McCullum off Bracewell.